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Diane Borchardt
Regan Borchardt |motive=Violent control issues Husband left her |path=Proxy Killer Black Widow |mo=Hired 3 students to kill husband |era=April 3, 1994 |conviction=Life in prison |victim=Ruben Borchardt |occupation=Teacher |location=Jefferson, Wisconsin, USA |status=Incarcerated |appearance=Eternal Revenge}} Diane Borchardt, née Pfister, is a former teacher convicted of murder, having hired 3 students to kill her husband. Biography In 1979, 31-year old Diane Pfister met 25-year old widower Ruben Borchardt, who already had two children, Chuck and Brooke, from his recently deceased wife Susan. They shortly got married and had a daughter named Regan. Diane was a teacher's aide at the local high school. The other teachers liked her because she was always willing to help. Even the students liked her, calling her "Mrs. B". This included Joshua Yanke, 16, and Douglas Vest, 17. They shared their troubles with her. But the household experienced a different sort of woman. At home, Diane tried to erase all trace of Susan Borchardt. Diane got rid of pictures of Susan and wouldn't allow discussion of her, saying she was no longer part of their lives because she was dead. Diane wanted them to accept was that they had no other mother but her. Diane's jealousy of a dead woman also including into resenting raising her step-children. Chuck and Brooke. Diane focused her attention on her daughter Regan. By the 1990s, Diane became more controlling and erratic. In one argument, Diane smashed a flower vase on Ruben's head. She would call the police sometimes and falsely say Ruben was assaulting her. Diane would assault Ruben and turn it around on him to make it look to the police like he hit her. In 1993, Ruben was pushed to the brink. He realized he couldn't be with her any longer. He found a girl named Judy. At Thanksgiving, Ruben announced he was filing for divorce. He was going to marry Judy. Diane filed for sole custody of the children, claiming constant neglect. Ruben, however, got custody of the children and the house. The court ruled that Diane had to leave the house hold by April 15, 1994. Ruben was terrified at what his former wife would do. He lined the stairs with mayonnaise jars as an alarm system in case Diane, who had threatened to castrate him, came in the house to hurt him. Diane, a classic manipulator, told Douglas Vest and Joshua Yanke that Ruben had beaten her. They recruited 15-year old Michael Maldonado. With a promise of cash, cars and jewelry, Diane hired the three boys to kill her husband. Vest and Maldonado were to shoot Ruben in his sleep while Yanke was to unhook the phone and make sure Chuck Borchardt didn't interfere. On April 2, 1994, Diane started a fight with Ruben, trying to take a sewing machine that belonged to Ruben's first wife Susan. Diane tried to get Ruben to hit her, but the argument escalated to her jumping on Ruben's back and hitting him. Ruben threw her off him, which did bruise her arm. She called the police, who told her to leave a volatile situation. Diane left with Regan, having official witnesses seeing their departure, establishing an alibi. The next morning, Chuck was asleep, Brooke was at a friend's house. Ruben awoke early to attend church. As he was coming up the steps, Malando shot him twice, then the three hitmen flee, dumping the shotgun in a vacant lot. Chuck awoke and found his father bleeding on a chair. Ruben managed to say "I can't believe she did this to me." Ruben is rushed to the hospital, but dies later. Ruben's murder happening two weeks before Diane had to move out made her the prime suspect. No one had doubt, but she had not physically done it. Though Diane thought she had gotten away with it, Ruben's life insurance payout was frozen. Diane was unable to pay the boys, who turned themselves in. Douglas Vest confessed to the police. He and Malando were convicted of first-degree murder and were sentenced to life. Yanke plead guilty to second-degree intentional murder and was sentenced to 18 years in prison. On August 1, 1995, Diane Borchardt was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison, with a sentence of 40 years before she can be eligible for parole. Category:Black Widows Category:Proxy Killers